The present disclosure generally relates to an analysis system and method for aggregating task data objects and, in particular to an analysis system and method for aggregating task data objects and providing an aggregated view, wherein at least some of the aggregated task data objects are indicative of a laboratory procedure.
In analytical laboratories, in particular clinical laboratories, a multitude of analyses on biological samples are executed in order to determine physiological and/or biochemical parameters being indicative of a disease, nutrition habits, drug effectiveness and/or organ function.
With the advent of new high-throughput technologies and advancement in lab automation systems, the number and complexity of tasks performed in parallel in a laboratory by a multitude of different lab devices has tremendously increased. While lab automation has helped to improve the quality of analysis results and to reduce payroll costs, lab automation has not rendered human interaction with automated or semi-automated laboratory workcell systems unnecessary. As lab automation allows performing a multitude of pre-analytical, analytical and/or post-analytical laboratory procedures in parallel by a multitude of different laboratory devices and/or laboratory workcell systems, a growing number of laboratory procedures executed in parallel has to be monitored and controlled.
Lab devices may fail or run out of reagents or other consumables. Often, a human is required to refill an empty reagent box, to replenish a consumable or to repair a failed lab device. In addition, in many cases, human interpretation of the gathered measurement values is still required. Although fewer lab workers are required to execute diagnostic or analytical tasks, a large number of highly diverse tasks related to monitoring and operating an analysis system and related to evaluating the gathered result still require human intervention.
Prior art laboratory workflow management systems allow the assignment of tasks to be performed in the context of a laboratory workflow to a particular user, thereby helping to clarify responsibilities in monitoring, controlling and/or executing tasks.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved analysis system, a computer-implemented method and a computer program product for displaying tasks which need to be performed in order to execute or complete a laboratory workflow which further assist a worker in efficiently executing assigned tasks and efficiently identifying and/or triggering actions which need to be performed in order to keep one or more monitored lab devices operative.